James Douglas, Lord of Douglas

James Douglas, Lord of Douglas (1286-25 August 1330) was a Scottish knight and feudal lord who was one of Scotland's main commanders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Douglas was a veteran of Robert Bruce's campaigns from the Battle of Methven in 1306 to the Battle of Stanhope Park in 1327, and he ultimately died in battle with the Andalusian Moors in 1330 at the Battle of Teba while transporting Bruce's heart to Jerusalem.

Biography
James Douglas was born in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1286, the son of William the Hardy, Lord of Douglas. James was educated in France while his father, William Wallace's first supporter, fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence; William died a prisoner in the Tower of London in 1298, and the Douglas lands were confiscated by the English. In 1304, James visited King Edward I of England at Stirling Castle to petition for the return of his family's lands to him, but Edward immediately dismissed his father as a "traitor" and angrily sent Douglas away empty-handed.

Wars of Independence
In 1306, as Robert Bruce rode to Scone to be crowned King of Scotland, the landless Douglas joined him and offered his services, and he survived the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Methven and became a Scottish commander during the guerrilla war against the English. From 1307 to 1308, he confined the English to southern Scotland as Bruce campaigned in the north, and Douglas used Selkirk Forest as his base of operations. On 19 March 1307, Palm Sunday, Douglas recaptured Douglas Castle from its English garrison, reclaiming his home. In 1308, at the Pass of Brander, Douglas helped Bruce in his victory over the Balliol loyalists, and he went on to campaign in Galloway alongside Edward Bruce. In 1314, Douglas' troops surprised and captured Roxburgh Castle, which was then destroyed to deny a strongpoint to the English. Douglas was knighted after the Battle of Bannockburn, which effectively ended the English presence in Scotland. Douglas went on to lead raids on England as far south as Pontefract and the Humber, and his hobilars became feared among the residents of northern England. In 1318, following Edward Bruce's death in Ireland, Douglas became tutor to the future King Robert II of Scotland, and, that same year, Douglas captured Berwick from the English. Following the 1319 Battle of Myton, during which several English priests were slaughtered, King Edward II of England was forced to abandon his plans for an attempt to recapture Berwick. On 14 October 1322, Douglas and Bruce scored their final victory over Edward at the Battle of Old Byland in Yorkshire; in 1327, Edward II was deposed. That same year, the Scots defeated an invading English army under King Edward III of England at the Battle of Stanhope Park in County Durham.

Final battle and death
In 1328, King Edward III was forced to recognize Scottish independence at Northampton. Robert Bruce died in 1329, and he instructed Douglas to carry his heart to Jerusalem to be buried in the Holy Land. Douglas set sail for the Holy Land, but, during a stop in Spain, he decided to join King Alfonso XI of Castile during a campaign against the Moors. On 25 August 1330, Douglas was killed while leading a premature attack on the Moors at the Battle of Teba.